Is Speed Dating The Answer To Dating App Fatigue?

More and more, New Yorkers are on the lookout for that certain something to anchor them to the city—be it the perfect apartment, the ideal job to fund said perfect apartment or a person to share a perfect night with, who, ideally, would be open to splitting the rent for the perfect apartment down the line. How romantic!

While New York remains the only city where dating "up" for personal interest is widely accepted—like the bouncer at Paul's Baby Grand understanding why you ghosted him to date the concierge at Soho house—it appears that pinpointing who's who in the pool of successful singles in the city has become more challenging.

In recent years, dating apps have embraced the concept of exclusive and refined dating communities, such as Raya for those who have been gifted Parade PR, and The League for those who have family in the oil industry.

My approach is simple: I navigate the monotonous task of swiping on Hinge and Raya, evaluating personality alignment and whether they have a job or not with potential matches. Initially, these apps seemed exciting and innovative, quickly identifying instant attractions while saving time. However, like all things shiny and new, the allure faded with the repetitive cycle, leading to a wearisome experience. And the thought of explaining to my parents that I met someone on "the apps" lost its charm.